WE are deeply concerned that Brazil’s judicial system has been used for political purposes with the imprisonment of former president Lula da Silva (Morning Star June 11).

New revelations on how Judge Sergio Moro collaborated with prosecutors to ensure Lula’s imprisonment show a blatant disregard for Brazilian democracy and the rule of law.

There is growing evidence that Lula was jailed to prevent him from standing in the 2018 presidential election, which was subsequently won by far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro has said that he wants Lula to “rot in prison.” Incredibly, Judge Moro has since been appointed by the president to be Brazil’s minister of justice.

We call for freedom for Lula and stand in solidarity with those defending democracy and the rule of law in Brazil.

Richard Burgon MP, Labour
Baroness Jean Corston, Labour
Grahame Morris MP, Labour
Dan Carden MP, Labour
Christine Blower, NEU (NUT section) international secretary and Brazil Solidarity Initiative vice-chair
Tony Burke, assistant general secretary, Unite
Dr Renata F Peters, associate professor, UCL
David H Treece, Camoens Professor of Portuguese, King’s College London
Dr Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, professor of law, Birkbeck
Dr Fiona Macaulay, senior lecturer, Bradford University
Professor Alfredo Saad Filho, SOAS
Dr Angela Torresan, lecturer in anthropology, University of Manchester
Tariq Ali, historian and writer
John Pilger, Journalist and documentary film-maker
Kate Hudson, general secretary, CND